Late 19th century; earliest use found in Isaac Funk (1839–1912), publisher and reformer. From scientific Latin Pelobatidae, family name from Pelobates, genus name (J. G. Wagler Natürliches System der Amphibien 206; from ancient Greek πηλοβάτης, name of a frog from πηλο- + -βάτης from the stem of βαίνειν to go + -της, suffix forming agent nouns) + -idae. With the noun compare earlier pelobatoid.